The Return of More Than One
by doctorwhoviansunite
Summary: The 11th Doctor is reunited with Rose. Events take place, old friends return, and the Doctor is... degenerating? But there is also a return of a great enemy. One the Doctor thought was gone for good. Can he protect his friends from the harm the Master means to do to them? Contains whump and a good amount of 11/Rose :) Rating raised to T for violence because I get paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, here we go! I'm really looking forward to writing this. This story is based off of a roleplay some friends and I have been working on for about a month. I do not get all credit though. Credit goes to Ariea Sunshine, who roleplayed the Doctor. I was the roleplayer of Rose, and SuperWhoLock73 did Donna. The rest do not have accounts, but still took a huge part in the creation of this story :) I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: BBC owns Doctor Who. We own nothing more than this story.**

**Again, this story was created on the spot with some friends, so some information may be inaccurate or out of line with the story of the show. Nothing major though :)**

* * *

The Doctor. A man of outer-space. A madman with a blue box. A time traveler...a time lord. The last of his kind. The loneliest man in the world, so to speak. He had lost everyone... he loses everyone. All of his companions, they had stuck with him through thick and thin, but in the end, they all ended up leaving him.

And it broke his hearts.

The most recent were the most devastating.

Rose Tyler. His first love. He had lost her... left her behind, never to see her again. Trapped in a parallel world, with...some other man. He had made her happy, and that's what he wanted...what was best for Rose. But it still tore him in two.

Martha Jones. Doctor Martha Jones he should say. What a brave warrior she had turned in to. In the end she had left on her own accord. Her family needed her, and the Doctor respected her wishes, but still...

It hurt.

Donna Noble. The most important woman in the universe. She had forgotten him, but the Doctor hadn't. He never would.

Then came his magnificent Ponds. In the end, they had lived a peaceful life together, but the Doctor wasn't able to spend it with them. He had lost them to the angels...in more ways than one.

Now, the distracted and heart-broken Doctor was being flung around in his TARDIS, which spinning out of control. It flew violently through the Time Vortex, causing the Doctor to struggle to stay on his feet.

"C'mon, old girl," he whispered to his living machine. "Don't do this."

The living TARDIS struggled with the loss of companions as well. She had grown quite close to Rose in particular, and the Doctor felt her pain. Suddenly, the jolting halted as the TARDIS came to a stop.

The had landed somewhere.

The Doctor walked warily towards the double doors in the front of the big box. He pulled one open slightly, peering outside.

He had landed back on earth.

With a sigh of relief, he stepped out, and just in time as the TARDIS began filling with smoke. He coughed and shut the doors behind him. As he got a better look at his smaller-on-the-outside ship, he realised he had crash landed. A light smoke surrounded the box, signalling for him to back away. The TARDIS was repairing itself.

The Doctor sighed, knowing that it could very well be a few days before she would even let him back inside, let alone before he could fly. He walked away, kicking a rock across the ground as he did. He probably should find a place he could stay the night. It was late, and getting cold. He looked up to see the moon riding high in the sky. It was midnight_ish_ he decided.

As he walked on he noticed a few familiar signs and landmarks. Shortly after, he decided he was in London.

_This is where Rose lives._.. He thought, but pushed it away. She was in a whole other universe. The Doctor kept telling himself that over and over. It was impossible for him to see Rose again. She had been left in a parallel world, and the breach blocking him off from the woman he loved had been closed.

She was gone, and he had to face that.

The Doctor was caught up in his thoughts that he didn't see the approaching garbage cans on the side of the road. He tripped over them with a loud crash, silently cursing in Gallifreyan and he brushed himself off and picked them up, relieved to find they were empty. The house that they belonged to sat to the left.

A bedroom light was on upstairs, and the Doctor froze. Had he been seen? He still needed a place to stay the night... and he didn't have any money. Maybe he could ask these people for a room in their house.

He strolled up the driveway as he made up his mind, then knocked on the door.

Silence.

He knocked again.

As he was knocking, the door swung open.

The Doctor's breath caught in his throat as he saw who opened it.

There she was, standing in front of him.

Rose Tyler.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a bit rubbish. I'm really sleepy :P**

* * *

Rose Tyler was woken up to the sound of metal clanging in her front yard. She threw the sheets off her legs and clombered out of bed, flipping on her lamp and walking to the window. She saw a man in her front yard, frantically shouting in-audible words as he picked up the garbage cans he had apparantly knocked over. Rose saw him stand there for a moment, before casually strolling up to her house. She pulled on her dressing gown and headed downstairs in her bare feet.

By the time she was downstairs, there was knocking at the door. She hesitated for a moment, wondering whether or not she should open the door. She shrugged, and slowly opened it to reveal a man with long, brown hair, a tweed jacket and a geeky-looking bow-tie. As soon as the door was fully open, the man's eyes widened in surprise. He stood there for a minute, without saying a word.

"Er...hello, there." Rose broke the silence, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Hi...um..." He looked away.

"Had a bit much to drink maybe, sir?" Rose asked, as the man was acting very strange.

He shook his head. "No drink, uh, hi." he smiled a little bit. "My name's John Smith. My, uh, car broke down a ways away, and I have help on it's way, but was looking for a place to stay the night."

Rose froze. _John Smith_. She sighed, remembering the common cover name that the Doctor had used so often. Even just the slightest thing caused memories to flood back through her.

"Are you alright?" John raised an eyebrow, noticing her sudden silence.

"Huh? Oh yes...just, a good friend of mine used to go by that name..." She smiled. "I'm Rose Tyler. Nice to meet you." She told him, pushing her thoughts away. "I would offer you a place here tonight, but-"

He held up his hands in front of him, and shook his head. "I by no means intend to impose, and fully understand if it is not possible." He looked around. "Big neighborhood. I should be able to find somewhere." He smiled.

Rose began to second guess herself. The man seemed so nice. Even though she had just met him, for some reason she felt like she could trust him. Even so, it was her mum's house, a new one at that.  
"I'll have to ask my mum. Come on inside, I'll be right back." she stepped back and opened the door a little wider invitingly. John nodded in his thanks, and sat down at a table while Rose ran upstairs.

* * *

The Doctor drew in a shaky breath, and folded his trembling hands together where they rested on the table.

_Rose._

That was the only word on his mind. He couldn't believe he'd actually ended up in her parallel universe. The walls of time were closed. The breach had been sealed. He must have fallen through the smallest crack in time...a lucky on at that.

His mind suddenly fixated on something she had said. I'll have to go ask my mum. Why would she still be living with Jackie? The Doctor had left her with his clone back on Bad Wolf Bay so many years - for him at least - ago. Had something happened? Had ten-two possibly died, or left Rose? What other explanation was there for Rose to be living back with her mother?

Unless...

The sound of footsteps approaching broke into his thoughts. Rose and Jackie soon appeared at the bottom of the long flight of stares. Rose smiled warmingly, that made the Doctor want to hug her so much right then and there...oh how he missed that smile. Jackie on the other hand, was looking suspicious and was wary as she approached.

"Hello. I'm John Smith." He stood up and extended a hand.

Jackie eyed him before shaking it. "I'm Jackie. So, Rose tells me you're looking for a place to stay the night."

He nodded. "I am. Don't mean to intrude. If it's any problem I'll just be on my way." He hoped with everything in him that they didn't send him away. He couldn't bring himself to reveal his identity just yet... he had to make sure it was what was best. Could he bear to have Rose with him again, only to possibly lose her once more in the future? Besides, he had to find out what happened to the meta-crisis Doctor, or confirm his other suspicion.

Jackie hesitated before saying, "I suppose it wouldn't do any harm to let you stay a night in the guest bedroom. Tell me though, why should we be so eager to trust you? Young, handsome man staying the night in the same house as my 21 year old daughter... how do I know you're not just some clever pervert?"

The Doctor couldn't resist an amused grin. Classic Jackie. "I by no means have any interest in your daughter. I only wish for a place to spend the night."

Jackie sighed. "Very well. Just one night though." She told him.

He nodded. "Very much appreciated."

"Mum, go on back to bed. I'll get him situated and all." Rose told Jackie.

"Alright. Get back to bed soon though," She eyed her before walking back upstairs.

Rose smiled warmly. "Come along. Guest bedroom is through here." The Doctor decided to seize their oppertunity alone to ask the nagging question.

"So, just you and your mum, then?" he asked.

Rose nodded, a bit sadly. "Yes, I only recently started living here again though. I had this friend... we traveled together for a few years." She rummaged through the closet in the guest bedroom as she spoke. "He, uh, had go leave. Couldn't get back to me."

That information wasn't enough. "Did he live here with you?"

She shook her head. "We were always travelin'. One day, we got separated... he couldn't come back for reasons that I don't really want to explain." She sighed. "Long story." she pulled a fresh set of sheets out of the closet, then started making the bed.

The Doctor froze. That sounded more like their first encounter on Bad Wolf Bay, when he had first left her behind. Guilt gnawed at his stomach as he remembered that day. He never got the chance to say _I love you _back... So this meant he had gone pretty far back in time. The incident with the meta-crisis Doctor hadn't happened to her yet.

Maybe it didn't have to.

"Here," He said, taking the sheets from her. "I'll do it. You've done enough for me already." He gave her a lopsided smile. "Thank you, Rose."

She just nodded, then yawned. "I'll be heading back to bed then. I get up for work pretty early in the morning, but if you're not up when I am just help yourself to anything for breakfast, just...don't wake up my mum." She shuddered. "A bloody grizzly on drugs she is when woken up too early."

The Doctor laughed. "I'll be mindful of that then."

Rose laughed as well as she walked out of the guest room door. "G'night, John."

"'Night, Rose."

* * *

**A/N: I like reviews. Reviews are cool ^.^**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So so sooooo sorry for taking so long to update. I was insanely busy this week, but I'm going to try to post AT LEAST once every other day :)**

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

"Ugh." Rose rolled over in bed and threw her hand onto the snooze button onto her blaring alarm clock.

_5:30 a.m_

She rubbed her eyes and sat up, throwing her legs off the edge of her bed. She stood up slowly and yawned on her way to the shower. Her encounter with John Smith last night had hindered her sleep. A lot. After seeing him off to bed she had laid her her own, staring up at the ceiling for what felt like hours. She couldn't help but feel a bit of unease about this man. But not necessarily in a bad way... something felt odd... and off... but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

After she showered and dressed she tip-toed down the stairs for a quick breakfast before she left.

As Rose poured her cereal she glanced in the direction of John's room to see that the door was slightly cracked open. Deciding to peek in to see if he had settled in okay, she set down her bowl and walked into the hall. She peered through the crack to see what she wasn't expecting. He was fully dressed and sitting on the edge of his perfectly made bed. He looked wide awake, as if he'd been up for hours, and was in such deep thought he didn't see or hear Rose's presence.

She backed away, not wanting to disturb him, and went back to her breakfast.

"Damnit." She saw the time and scarfed down her cereal before running swiftly out the door, getting into her car, and driving away.

* * *

Once he heard Rose drive away, The Doctor emerged from his place in the guest room. Being a Time Lord and not needing nearly as much sleep as humans, he had simply sat on the side of the bed through the night, fiddling around with the settings on his sonic screwdriver. It had given him a good opportunity to think on what exactly his plan was...what was he doing here? After all those years, could he really reveal himself to Rose? If he did, he was sure she would want to travel with him once again. Could he bring himself to put her in danger again? When they had traveled before, they had nearly lost their lives more than once. What would he do if something happened to her? He would never forgive himself for making her give up her normal life.

Then again, he also couldn't simply leave her.

The Doctor loved Rose. It was as simple as that. He couldn't leave her behind again. He just couldn't.

He sighed, and walked out the Tyler's front door. He had left the TARDIS unattended for much too long, and it was time to see how the old girl was doing.

* * *

"You're late. _Again."_

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."

"Ms. Tyler, this has become a much too regular habit of yours. Do I need to reconsider your recent promotion-"

"No!" Rose pleaded with her boss, Laurence Fox. She had been late a lot lately... but for good reasons. "I'm really sorry. It won't happen again."

"That's what you said last time." Mr. Fox tapped his foot irritably. "Why are you late?"

"Had some bloke stay with us last night. He came at a pretty late hour. I guess I got distracted and all..." she shook her head. "I truly am sorry."

To her surprise, he seemed to accept this. "Last chance, Tyler. You got that?"

Rose gulped and nodded.

"Right then. Fabian needs someone out on the field with him today. Here." He handed her a report file. "Got some calls earlier about a plane or somethin' falling from the sky. It didn't make a crashing noise or leave any remains, which is why it's a bit suspicious to us."

"What did it look like?"

"Witnesses say it was much too fast to get a good look, but that they saw a distinct flash of blue."

**I was a bit rushed when writing this, so it may not be too good. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I feel really bad that I'm updating so slow. To be honest I'm starting to lose some of the inspiration to finish this story. As we've continued the RP I've realized that we were doing it for fun, and none of it really makes sense xD so what I think I'm gonna do is just change the story a bit, so that its based off of the RP but not the same story line exactly. :) Giving it my own twist. I'll do my best to update quicker now :3 So sorry guys!**

The Doctor glared at the TARDIS, a bit annoyed. "C'mon, girl! Let me in." His spaceship had the double-doors sealed shut, and wouldn't let him enter. "Please?" She just hummed in reply. The Doctor sighed. He had to move her. Her cloaking defenses had gone awry, so she was out in the open for anyone to see, and not too far from the city's main road. "Fine. Be that way." He kicked a rock along the ground then looked up in surprise as he heard voices.

* * *

"So where did it land?" Rose flipped through the report given to her as she and Fabian sped down the highway in search of the mysterious blue sighting.

Fabian shrugged, not taking his eyes off of the road ahead. "All I know is that its not too far from your place. Doesn't it say in the report?"

Rose shook her head as she skimmed over the final page. She then looked up at the sky. The distinctive smoke trail remained. "I guess lets just see where that thing ends." She suggested.

Fabian just nodded and they were silent the rest of the trip.

Rose leaned back in her seat and sighed. _Distinct flash of blue. Smoke trail leading from the sky. Mysterious landing, but no crash. _She ran the reported facts through her head over and over again. Obviously, the Doctor was the first thing that popped into her mind. She wanted to believe it so bad. She wanted to hope to find him emerging from that blue box upon them finding it. She wanted him to wrap her in his arms and apologize for leaving her. But he wouldn't. Its not him. The walls between their worlds had been closed, sealing them off from each other. Rose would never see her Doctor again.

"Let's walks the rest of the way." Fabian broke into her thoughts as he pulled the car to a stop, parking on the side of the road. As Rose climbed out of the SUV she could see it in the distance. The blue box. She felt frozen and oxygen deprived as she took in the sight.

It really was him.

"Rose? You alright?" Fabian asked, obviously noticing her sudden change in approach.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Fine...er...wait here just a minute." She started slowly walking.

"Wait what? I'm not letting you go up there on your own." He protested, catching up with her.

Rose spun around. "Wait here."

"But-"

"Fabian!" Her voice hardened.

"Fine fine." He held his hands up, backing away. "Just, be careful, yeah?"

Rose ignored him and kept slowly approaching the box. She saw a flash of tweed as a man dashed to hide behind it. As she got closer, she could easily make out the features.

_Police Public Call Box._

**POLICE TELEPHONE **_  
_

**FREE FOR USE OF PUBLIC**

**ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE OBTAINABLE IMMEDIATELY**

**OFFICERS & CARS RESPOND TO ALL CALLS**

**PULL TO OPEN**

It was here. This was it. That magnificent blue box Rose had traveled in all those years ago. Rose couldn't believe her eyes. The Doctor had come back.**  
**

So where was he?

Rose spun around as she heard footsteps. "Fabian I told you to-" she was cut off as she looked at the man standing in front of her. It wasn't Fabian.

But it wasn't the Doctor either.

"J-John?" Her eyes widened.

The man gave her a small smile and shook his head. "Guess again."

She drew in a shaky breath and took a step closer. "Doctor..." She breathed.

His smile brightened. "Hello, Rose."

**A/N: Short chapter, I know, but I'm posting another today to make up for being so slow before ^.^ Reviews always appreciated when I'm in a rut!**


	5. Chapter 5

"You...you look different."

Rose was frozen to the spot. Mixed emotions swarmed through her...the Doctor was back...but he wasn't himself.

He nodded. "Yes. I regenerated."

"When?"

He shrugged. "Oh, a while back now for me. Absorbed a good amount of radiation." He shuddered. "Wasn't pleasant."

She nodded slowly. "I can't believe its actually you..." She laughed lightly.

"Rose..." He took a step closer, flinching internally when he saw her step back. "Its still me."

"I know."

"Rose." His voice grew firm with determination. "Rose its _me. _Its the Doctor. I may look different, but its still me. I'm still the same man you traveled with all that time ago."

The Doctor saw her growing a bit more accepting, so he went on.

"Remember when you first saw me regenerate?" He laughed at the memory. "Oh, what a time that was. It was hard, I know, but you eventually got used to the new me...you can do that again." On the inside, he was begging her to accept him. To throw her arms around his neck and tell him how much she missed him. For them to sit down together, talk about their lives since the last time they'd met before he'd sweep her off her feet and they'd pick up where they left off, exploring the world beyond in that daft blue box.

But his hearts melted when she just stood there. He could understand, really. He wasn't the same man he was when she'd last seen him. Well he was, but he had a different face. One that, if she _did _agree to travel with him again, she would have to get used to all over again.

"Rose?"

Her gaze remained at her feet, but he could see a small smile forming on her lips.

"Doctor..." She looked up, her eyes glistening. "Its you." She ran up to him, wrapping him in a tighter hug than he could ever remember. He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up off her feet and spinning around as she shed happy tears on his shoulder. He set her down, cupping her face in one hand, smiling. "I came back...even if it was by accident." He laughed.

"How? How did you end up here?"

He shrugged, putting his hand back at his side. "Same way as last time. Fell through a crack in the Vortex, and oh so conveniently ended up here." He shook his head. "I'm still in awe."

Rose grabbed his hand. "All that matters to me is that you're here. I...I never thought I'd see you again." She wiped a tear from her eye.

"Well, just goes to show how much this daft old man knows. Looks like I was wrong about that bit...I'm glad I was wrong." He squeezed her hand. "I really missed you."

"Me too." She brightened.

"So!" He clapped his hands together. "Same problem as last time, same repairing method as last time. TARDIS needs some time to recover after our little crash-" he was cut off as he saw a man approaching. "Who's that?"

Rose spun around and saw Fabian walking towards them, a baffled expression on his face.

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" He threw his arms in the air to show his frustration.

"Doctor, this is my co-worker, Fabian. Fabian, meet the Doctor. An old friend of mine." Rose introduced them.

"Helloooo!" The Doctor waved.

"Is _that _thing yours?" He pointed a finger in the direction of the TARIDS.

"Yup! Got her at an antique store. Looks good, eh?"

Fabian glared at him. "Witnesses say it fell from the sky."

The Doctor sighed. "Okay, okay. So its a space ship. Meet the TARDIS!" He patted the blue wood.

Fabian shook his head. "A space ship. That thing. It's a bloody telephone box."

The Doctor shrugged. "That's just my style. Don't judge!"

"Er...okay?" He leaned in closer to Rose. "Will _you _give me some explanation?"

Rose laughed. "Head back to Torchwood. I'll catch up with you. Tell Fox it was nothing more than a misinterpreted sighting."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why would I-"

"Because your my friend, and you wouldn't rat my friend out here, would you?"

He sighed. "Fine. Nice to meet you...er...Doctor _what _exactly?"

The Doctor laughed. "Just, the Doctor."

"Fine then. See you back at HQ, Rose." And with that he walked away.

"Well that was easy." The Doctor commented.

"Yeah. He's the newbie. Probably think's this is normal." Rose laughed before turning back to her friend. "So...what now?"

"Now, Miss Rose Tyler, I propose you the offer of traveling with me once more!" He smiled. "What do you say? Rose and the Doctor in the TARDIS once again. As it should be."

"How could I possibly say no?" She beamed.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. "What about your family?"

"What about them?"

"Are you willing to leave them again?"

Rose sighed. "Doctor, there's no life for me here. The three years I had with you were the best years of my life. My other life was, and is, so dull. After all this time since I last saw you, I've adapted, but never truly grew used to a normal life." She shook her head. "I love my family, but I love you even more..." The last words tumbled out of her mouth before she took a minute to think on what she was saying.

But, to her relief, the Doctor just smiled, hugging her again. "I'm so glad to hear that."

"Well let's get going then!" Rose walked to the TARDIS doors, frowning when they wouldn't open.

"Gotta wait a bit. She's repairing herself this time, and refuses to be disturbed I suppose."

"Ah, okay. Well, should we just head back to my place then?"

He nodded slowly. "You prepared to say goodbye to your family?... Rose are you sure you want to do this?"

But there was no mistake in her expression. "Yes."

"Well then lets go!" He grabbed her hand and they walked back to the Tyler's home.

His hearts soared as they walked.

He had been reunited with his Rose once again.


	6. Chapter 6

"You've _got _to be kiddin' me!" Jackie glared at her daughter, then turned her gaze to the man standing next to her.

According to Rose, that was the Doctor. The man she had traveled with, the man she had fallen in love with, and the man she had lost. How was it possible? How was he even here? How could Rose simply announce she was running away with him again? "Rose..." Jackie muttered, bringing her gaze to the floor. "We've only just started getting settled here...we-"

"-No, mum." Rose cut her off. "_You, _were getting settled, not me." She raised here eyebrows. "Did you really think I'd be able get get used to a normal life after everything I had been through? Because I didn't, and I can't." She lowered her voice. "Mum, I love you, but this is no life for me. Not anymore."

"But Rose..."

"Mum, you had me for 19 years... then I met the Doctor...I couldn't stay. Traveling with him became my life...then I had to leave him." Rose looked up at the Doctor sadly, and he returned her gaze. "But now he's back. Mum, you've gotta let me go eventually."

Jackie sighed. "I know...just knowing you're out there...in danger-"

"-Jackie." The Doctor stepped forward this time, his voice hardening. "I swear to you, with every last breath in my body, I will do _whatever _it takes to make sure Rose is safe. I promise I will forevermore do all I can to bring her back safely to you."

"But that's just it." Jackie retorted. "You'll do all you can, but it may not be enough. You can't guarantee her safety, and you know that."

Rose spoke up. "But I know it too." she turned back to the Doctor. "I made my choice a long time ago. I'm never gonna leave you."

The Doctor smiled faintly before eyeing Jackie warily, who was fortunately seeming a bit more relaxed.

Rose spun around as she heard a door opening behind her. Mickey and Pete walked through the front door, carrying drinks and laughing. They stopped dead in their tracks as they saw the Doctor.

"Um, hello." Pete set down his cup and extended a hand. "Pete Tyler. Who might you be?"

The Doctor gave Rose a questioning look and she nodded encouragingly. He looked back at Pete. "Hello again, Pete!" He threw his arms up in the air. "Its the Doctor. Great to see you again!"

Mickey stepped forward and looked at Rose, bewildered. She just shook her head, telling him she'd explain soon.

Pete laughed. "Very funny." He turned to Rose. "Mind telling me who your friend is?"

"Dad...its the Doctor."

"No it ain't! Look at 'im!"

Rose sighed. "Dad, this is the Doctor. He's regenerated since we last saw him, which is why he looks so different."

"What's tha-"

"-I'll explain later." She said hastily. She turned back to Mickey who was looking surprised, and hurt at the same time.

"So he's back..." Mickey muttered, only loud enough for Rose to hear.

"Yep.."

He gulped. "You're going away with him again, aren't you?"

Rose looked at him sadly. "Mickey, I have to..."

"No you don't!" He raised his voice a bit, making Rose flinch. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Why, Rose? Why? Why do you have to go with him?"

"There's no life for me here...Mickey I love him." Rose instantly regretted the words. Mickey took a step back, as if she'd hit him across the face.

"Why is it that I was never enough for you..."

"Mickey.." Rose put a hand on his shoulder.

He pulled away. "No. None of that." His voice hardened, but his expression remained sad. "You made your choice. I'm not gonna try and push you into staying." And with that he stormed out, leaving Rose speechless.

Rose wiped a tear from her eye and jumped as she felt the Doctor's hot breath on her neck.

"You okay?" He asked as she turned to face him.

She nodded with a small smile. "Yeah..." She looked away. "I'm just ready to go." She moved past the Doctor back to her mum, and wrapped her arms around her neck in a big hug. "Bye... I'll see you soon. I promise."

Jackie looked at her sadly. "Bye, sweetheart. Stay safe."

Rose hugged Pete next, then took a step back, looking at her heartbroken parents.

Her mother's gaze was filled with a mixture of emotions. Sadness, confusion, but yet understanding and a bit of happiness. Even if it made her uncomfortable, Jackie still wanted her daughter to be happy. And if that was what it took, she'd have to accept it.

Pete just looked utterly confused. "You'll come back won't you?"

Rose grinned. "I always come back." She felt a hand grabbed hers and she squeezed it tight in reply.

"Let's go. I think the TARDIS should be good by now." The Doctor whispered in her ear.

Rose said a final farewell to her parents before walking out the front door, drawing in a shaky breath as she walked hand in hand with the Doctor down the road and to the TARDIS.

The Doctor pushed the blue door open slightly with a sigh of relief. "You sure you want to do this?" He questioned.

Rose just laughed in reply. "I'm sure."

He grinned. "Well, welcome to the new TARDIS." he opened the doors wide and pulled her inside.

"You've redecorated!" She mused.

"Yup." He released her hand, dashing to the console while Rose looked around in awe. "So, Rose Tyler! First trip in months, new TARDIS, a whole world to explore."

Rose joined him by the console and ran her fingers along the new machinery.

The Doctor stood in front of her. "All of time and space, everything that ever happened or ever will."

He smiled brightly.

"Where do you want to start?"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Another short chapter :P sorry**

"Here we are! Barcelona!" The Doctor grinned as the TARDIS double doors flew open, and he stepped outside, still hand-in-hand with Rose.

"This is that place you mentioned after you first regenerated...dogs with no noses right?" Rose asked.

"Yep! Been dying to visit it again," He looked at her. "And now we can!" They walked around a bit, squinting against the harsh bouts of wind. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the air with a satisfactory grin.

"New sonic?" Rose asked.

"Yes! Isn't it pretty?" He asked, stroking the small metal device.

Rose laughed then looked back at the land stretching in front of her. "Nothing like I would have expected." Rose mused. "Then again, the planet not the city, so..."

"Exactly!" The Doctor clapped a couple times. "So! Let's explore!"

They walked for what seemed to be around half an hour to Rose before coming across a city. "Interesting. Didn't see this place last time I was here. Come on!" The Doctor broke into a run dragging Rose along with him. "Well, would you look at that." Massively tall buildings stretched above them, beautiful homes lined the road, and old fashioned, yet somehow modern-looking cars flew by. He turned to Rose. "What d'ya think?"

Rose was in awe. It had been too long since she had seen these kinds of wonders. "Beautiful." was the only word she managed to get out. She jumped in surprise as she saw two animals bounding up to her. Resembling dogs, but...well noseless.

"Its alright." The Doctor encouraged. "They're friendly. Don't worry."

Rose crouched down down and extended a hand. She giggled as the odd-looking creatures lapped at her hand with their long exotic tongues. She stood up, wiping her soaked hands on her jeans before turning back to the Doctor. "Where to now?"

He shrugged. "Let's have a look around...Oooh that looks interesting." Rose followed his gaze to a huge white building, with tall pillars emerging from the top. She yelped in surprise as he took her hand again and started running in that direction. "Some sort of factory..." The Doctor mused once they had arrived at the front of it. "No signs or anything, though. Strange."  
Rose looked around to see that he was right. "What makes it so interesting?"

"I dunno. Just feels a bit off." He stuck out his tongue. "Air tastes a bit funny, too."

Rose laughed at the action then was cut off as she heard noise behind her. She turned around to see a small metal ball - no larger than a tennis ball - roll up right next to him. Instinctively, she took a step back.

The Doctor took out his sonic and scanned the ball from a distance, standing in between it and Rose. "I think, possibly, it might be a good idea to run." But before they could, the ball made a hissing sound and the top opened up, emitting a large stream of purple colored gas.

"What the-" Rose stared at the ball in awe, but stopped mid-sentence as she heard something hit the ground behind her. "Doctor?" he was laying on the ground, unconscious. She crouched down beside him, shaking his shoulder violently. "Doctor!" The sound of a car breaking to a stop caught her attention. Four men emerged from a black vehicle and were heading straight towards them. "Oi!" Rose yelled as one seized her by the arm, dragging her away from the Doctor. Another man started dragging the Doctor away and loaded him into the car.

"Doctor!" Rose tried to pull away from the man restricting her but he jerked her back, causing her to yelp. Before she could act again another man appeared from behind, pressing a cloth dripping in a strong-smelling substance to her mouth and nose.

It didn't take long for Rose to identify it as chloroform.

Her head started spinning as the world starting to become more and more distant. She collapsed to the ground and closed her eyes as she fell unconscious, and the men dragged her away.


	8. Chapter 8

Rose groaned as she opened her eyes against a harsh bright light, in an all white room.

"Wha-" she took in her surroundings. Nothing but white. Just a plain white room. She was handcuffed to a plain white bed. The only coloring in the room was from her own Union Jack tee and her jeans. Her red trainers had been removed and were laying on the floor next to her.

"Doctor?" she called, beginning to panic. She pulled against her restraints but it did no good. She flopped back down onto the bed and closed her eyes, willing the Doctor to find her soon.

* * *

"Oi! Get me out of here!" The Doctor pulled against the cuffs restraining one of his arms to his bed. "Rose! Rose can you hear me?" No reply. "Ugh." He groaned, pulling against the restraints again, but to no avail. He instinctively felt around in his pockets for his sonic screwdriver, then mentally kicked himself. _Sure. The people taking you captive are gonna let you keep the one thing that could bust you out of here. _But, to his luck, his handy device rested on a table not to far away.

Still, though, it was out of reach.

The Doctor picked up one of his boots, which were laying on the ground beside the bed, and threw it at the legs of the skinny table. The legs shot out from under it and the top fell on the ground, in the direction of the Doctor. His sonic screwdriver hit the ground and rolled towards him, but when it came to a stop it was still out of reach.

But just barely.

The Doctor slid off the bed, pulling against his restraints as hard as he possibly could. He winced as he reached for his device. Just and inch away...so close...

_Got it!_

He let out a victorious laugh as he crawled back into the bed. He soniced the cuffs open and stretched out his sore wrist. As soon as the Doctor stood up, a wave of dizziness hit him. Hard. He sat back down, taking a minute to recoup. He changed the frequency and setting on his screwdriver, enabling its mobile communication feature. He dialed Rose's number, praying they hadn't taken her phone from her.

It rang.

And rang.

The Doctor held in a yell of triumph as he heard her voice on the other end.

"Doctor?"

"Rose!" He exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, I guess so. Where are you?"

_Good question_. "Not entirely sure. I'm in a small white room. Nothing in here."

"Same. Who were those guys?"

"Dunno. I get the feeling this wasn't a simple trespassing arrest, though."

"We were _trespassing_?"

"Well...technically yes. We were."

"Wait a minute...are you alright? When that purple gas stuff came out of that ball you collapsed. Instantly."

That confused the Doctor just as much as her. "I don't know. Whatever it was has its lingering affects, though."

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just dizzy. I'll be fine once we get out of here."

"Alright. So, how do we get out of here?"

"Well, I'm free, but I don't see a door anywhere. What about you?"

"Nothing." Rose sighed.

"Okay. Hang tight. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Don't do anything stupid." She laughed.

"What? Me? Of course not." He smiled subconsciously. "See you soon, Rose." And with that he hung up.

The Doctor stood up again, this time a bit slower. He put one hand on the wall as he walked, killing two birds with one stone. Looking for a hidden door...and keeping himself from falling over. After about five minutes of searching, he found what he was looking for. A thin, white button. Barely visible, but its use was obvious. The Doctor quickly scanned the area surrounding it to confirm his predictions before pushing it.

A door slid open.

As soon as he stepped into the hallway, red lights flashed and an alarm blared.

"ALERT. ALERT. PRISONER HAS ESCAPED. ALERT ALERT."

_Okay. Time to go._

The Doctor shook his head to clear it and took a deep breath before breaking into a run. It took everything in him to keep himself upright, but there was no time to stop. He had to find Rose and get out of there. "Rose!?" He called out. No reply. He spun around in shock as he heard the light sound of footsteps. He pulled out his sonic to defend himself, expecting to see guards, but instead gaped at the figure in front of him.

It was a woman.

A woman he knew very well, yet at the same time, barely at all.

"I...Idris?"

* * *

"Doctor?" Rose panicked as soon as she heard the alarms sound. She pulled against her restraints once again, but as expected, they didn't come free. "Doctor!" she called again, desperately.

Then she heard noise on the other side of the wall.

A previously unseen door slid open and the Doctor burst through. Rose smiled, but then it faded as she saw another woman. She tilted her head in confusion.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'll explain later." The Doctor answered for her, pulling out his sonic screwdriver to unlock the handcuffs. When he was close enough, Rose noticed an odd look on his face. Like he was in pain.

"You alright?" She asked tentatively.

He coughed. "Just dandy." he helped her up then looked at the woman. "Let's get out of here." He grabbed Rose's hand and stumbled out the door, eyeing the woman to make sure she was following.

As they ran down the hallway, Rose heard footsteps behind them. She looked over her shoulder to see five men pursuing them. And they were gaining.

"Well Rose?" The Doctor chimed. "You wanted an adventure!"

Rose laughed. "Just like old times, eh?" They ran and ran for what seemed like forever, until finally, they found an exit.

"Come on, you lot!" The Doctor yelled over the blood-curdling screech of the alarms. As he pushed the doors open, a couple of the men yelled. He spun around to see two of the gas-balls rolling towards them. "Get out! Now!" They ran out the doors and down the road. "Head for the TARD..." he broke off with a thoughtful look at the woman next to them. Rose decided not to ask questions until they were back to safety.

Minutes later, they were safe inside the TARDIS.

Rose flopped down and the Doctor staggered to sit in the chair by the console. The woman just stood there, looking around. Everything was calm and silent, until Rose stood up to join the Doctor by the console.

"Alright." She spoke up. "So who are you?" she asked the woman, who just looked at the Doctor, expecting him to explain.

He looked up at Rose, then back at the woman. "Rose, meet Idris."

"Oi!" The woman spoke up for the first time. "You can't call me that. That's not who I am right now."

He eyed her. "Well what do you expect me to call you?"

She gave him a smirk.

"Idris, I'm not calling you _Sexy!_"

"Whoa, wait, what?" Rose exclaimed.

"Fine then!" The woman said, ignoring Rose. "But you can't call me Idris."

"Fine." The Doctor sighed. "Rose, meet TARDIS."

"Hello, love. Great to...er...see you again. Been a long time." She chimed.

Rose stood wide-eyed. "Um..." She looked at the Doctor. "TARDIS?"

"Yeah..." He looked back at the woman. "HOW are you here? The matrix takes on a living form, but it has to be the work of some higher power. PLUS how could it be you? You died!"

"I told you that I don't know!"

"But you must!"

"BUT I DON'T!"

Rose looked back and forth between the arguing two. "Will _someone _care to explain WHAT THE HELL is going on?"

The Doctor spoke up. "You know how I've told you that the TARDIS is alive? Not just some box, but actually a living consciousness?"

"Yeah?" she said, still not understanding.

"Well that consciousness is called the matrix. It can be extracted from the TARDIS and placed into a living form, hence Idris over here."

"STOP CALLIN' ME IDRIS!"

The Doctor ignored her. "It would all make sense, expect for two things; one, it has to be a very powerful source to perform that kind of action. _Two,_ it...it can't be her!"

"Well why not?" Rose wondered.

"I've only encountered this once before. I went to this planet with a previous companion of mine. There was a woman there, named Idris." He pointed at the woman. "House took the TARDIS matrix and placed it inside her. Eventually she died, and it was put back into _the_ TARDIS. So what I don't understand is how she's here. Not only did she die, but even if she hadn't then she would have had to be _here_ for that to happen. She would have to be physically here for the matrix to take control..." He trailed off, noticing Rose's bewildered expression. "Too fast?"

"Just a little. Yeah."

He shook his head. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." She looked back at the woman. "So...you're basically TARDIS."

"No, I _am_ TARDIS!" She exclaimed. "Not a very friendly hello, by the way, Rose Tyler."

"S-sorry?" Rose was having trouble taking everything in. "I'm just a bit confused."

"Join the club." The Doctor said.

Rose looked back at him. He was rubbing his eyes and leaning against the back of the chair. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I just need to figure out what was in that-" he broke off. His eyes went wide and he gasped, before collapsing to the ground.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So sorry its taking so long to update! I wrote the chapter then accidentally deleted it D: then I was mad so I didn't write a again for a couple days xD Then it was my birthday then we had to go somewhere and...yeah busy week xD**

"Doctor!" Rose ran to his side and started shaking his shoulder. "Doctor can you hear me?" No reply. "Doctor!" She stared at him helplessly, then turned to human TARDIS.

"You're the all-knowing time-traveling foreign box! Do something!"

"Oi!" TARDIS complained. "I'm no box right now. And my memory's a bit fuzzy." she rubbed her head.

Rose grabbed his hand. "At least help me get him to the infirmary." She said crossly.

"Ah yes. Infirmary. Good."

"Got a stretcher or anything?"

"No. Yes. No wait. No we don't. At least I don't think so, but we might. No scratch that. We don't."

Rose eyed her, a bit annoyed. "Fine then." She grabbed his arms and hauled him up. God he was heavy. "Help me out here!"

TARDIS sighed and went over beside Rose and help her practically drag the Doctor to the infirmary.

* * *

The Doctor blinked open his heavy eyelids, squinting against the bright light in the all white room. He soon recognized the TARDIS infirmary. _What the hell happened... _He tried to sit up but let out a groan as pain shot through his side. He looked around. Rose was asleep in a chair next to where he lay in bed. "Rose?"

"Hmm..."

"You awake?"

She opened her eyes then yawned, and gave the Doctor a small smile, then her expression changed completely. Straight from a _good morning _face, to an _oh my god you're awake!__  
_

"Doctor!" she let out a relieved yelp. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm the king of okay...no that's a rubbish title. Forget that title." He smiled. "What happened exactly?"

"I dunno...you've seemed just kindof off since we left that place, then you collapsed."

"Oh." He sighed. "How long was I out?"

"Just a couple hours. How do you feel?"

"Oh, I'm fine." He grimaced as he pulled himself into a sitting position. "Where's TARDIS?"

Rose shrugged. "Said she had to get something from the-" She was cut off as TARDIS came energetically bounding in, carrying a big book. "-library." she finished.

"What's that?" The Doctor asked, stifling a yawn."

"This," She slammed the book down onto a table, with a victorious look in her eye. "Is the history of all Barcelonian defenses." She shook her head. "I don't like being human, having to do external research and all."

The Doctor smiled. "Well... you remember what happened last time..."

"I know. I'm almost anxious for it to happen." She laughed.

"I still don't understand how you're in the same body...that body _died, _TARDIS."

"Well, I dunno either, but that's not important. Let's get you figured out." She handed the book to Rose. "See if you can find anything else about those gas ball things. They are probably what caused...this." She gestured to the Doctor with a disgusted look on her face. "I'm gonna look for another book in case this one doesn't say anything."

Rose just nodded as TARDIS walked away, leaving her and the Doctor alone. Rose flipped through the pages. "Okay. Here we go." She grinned victoriously. "So, they're apparently simply called Vapor Spheres. There are two different kinds...the purple gas and the blue gas. That's all they're known as though, they don't have names."

The Doctor nodded. "Does it say what they do?"

"The purple gas is," She went wide eyed. "Poisonous to only Time Lords and Appa...Appalapachia?"

"Appalapachia. Yeah. Read on."

"Wait, why just those two? What do they have in common?" She asked.

"Time Lords and Appalapachians are both two-hearted species...wait...something doesn't make sense.

"At the point in time we are now, the Time Lords have been gone for centuries. Also, Appalapachia has always been at peace with Barcelona. In fact, they're on the other side of the entire galaxy." He looked thoughtful. "What else does it say?"

Rose didn't answer.

"What is it?"

"Apparently, it causes singular heart failure when inhaled."

"Oh...that explains a lot." The Doctor grimaced. "Does it mention any kind of cure?"

"Yeah...the blue gas counters it when exposed."

"Well that's rubbish." The Doctor huffed. "Why make such an easy accessible cure?"

"Because its fatal to humans..." Her voice trailed off. She was staring at the ground.

The Doctor froze. "Its alright. We'll figure something else out."

Rose shook her head, set the book down then turned to look at him defiantly. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Whoa, where are you going?" he demanded, though already knowing the answer.

Rose pulled on her jacket. "I'm getting one of those spheres."

"Oh, no you're not!" The Doctor stood up, only to fall back onto the bed with a grunt. "Rose, no."

She zipped her jacket then turned to look at him. "You could be dying for all we know. There's no other choice. I'll be careful."

TARDIS entered the room. "I heard everything, and you ARE NOT going out there."

Rose stood her ground. "You can't stop me."

"Then I'll come with you."

"No!" The Doctor cut in. "Neither of you are going!"

"You can't come with me. You need to take care of him." Rose told her, ignoring the Doctor.

TARDIS thought for a moment. "Try and get one without opening it. If it does, run back here _immediately. _Okay?"

Rose smiled. "Thank you."

The Doctor bit his lip. "_Please_ don't do this. If something happens..."

"Doctor, I'll be fine."

He shook his head. "I'll never forgive myself if something happens to you."

Rose sat down next to him and took his hand. "I'll be careful. I promise. Just rest and concentrate on getting better, okay?"

He didn't reply.

Rose kissed the top of his head before stepping out, and heading for the doors.

"Rose...wait...please." He begged.

But she kept walking. She pulled the TARDIS double doors open and stepped outside. "Here goes nothing."


	10. Chapter 10

Rose trekked through the windy terrain, slowly gaining distance towards the barely visible factory. One thought ran consistently through her head: The Doctor's safety. Her best friend wasn't well in any way. _Singular heart failure?_ Rose was still blown away by what she had read. Last time anything remotely similar to the had happened, he'd been in a post regenerative coma. It had been one of the most frightening moments in her life. Sure, she had been in several life and death situations. She'd been captured, pursued, threatened...but none of those things compared to the intense fear of losing the man she... dare say she loved?

Rose drew in a shaky breath. Yes, she loved him alright.

But he had made himself far too clear previously. Rose reminisced to their conversation...many years ago.

_Humans...they decay. _He had said. _You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone you-_

Rose had never succeeded in persuading him to complete his sentence, though she new what he meant. It was hard, loving someone so much...knowing they love you back...but not being able to be with one another.

_You can spend the rest of your life with me._ He'd told her, on that same cloudy night. _But I can't spend the rest of my life with you._

The curse of the Time Lords. Rose would never forget that night. Just minutes of talking had changed her life. The way she perceived her future. It had made her finally realize that they could never be together.

But that didn't mean she didn't love him.

Rose shook her head. She had to accept the fact that the Doctor was her forbidden love.

* * *

The walk was long and tedious, but Rose finally arrived at the factory. Wary of the possibility of lingering guards...or gas... she crept silently along the bordering wall, searching for the entrance. She discovered a set of double doors, but became suspicious as she realized they were far too accessible. There was a sign on the door that read 'Push To Open'. She peered through the see-through doors to find two Vapor Spheres perched on the ground right inside, that would surely be agitated if she opened the door.

_Here's a wild idea._

Rose _pulled_ the doors instead of pushing them. To her own amusement, they opened with ease. _Barcelonians aren't that bright, are they?_ She stepped inside with a victorious grin, cautious of the spheres. She had no way of knowing what kind of gas they were filled with, but she wasn't taking any chances. She tip-toed around them then rounded a corner to reveal a far-stretching hallway.

Vapor Spheres littered the floor.

Rose knew there was no way of making it through there without setting one of them off. She had hoped to find some with labels...anything to indicate which was which, but these all looked identical. She only had one option.

She had to open one.

She delicately crouched down near the closest one, her skinny jeans protesting as she did. She gently prodded it with one finger. Nothing happened. She picked it up carefully and tapped it just slightly harder. The ball made a hissing sound, and a small panel slid open on top. Rose squealed and jumped back in surprise as a slow stream of gas emitted from the top, then relaxed as she recognized the purple coloring which, according to the book, was harmless to humans. Just to be on the safe side, she waited for the gas to clear before nearing another. This time she gently kicked it with her foot, which was a mistake. The use of her foot has caused more impact, and the stream of gas came quicker. Still, though, it was purple, so Rose relaxed.

She moved on, opening ball after ball until she finally came across what she was looking for. Having grown careless, Rose had been practically hitting the balls she came across, and when this one emitted a thick blue stream of gas, it caught her by surprise. She ran backwards to the far end of the hall, closest to the door, ready to run out if the poison spread, but instead watched as it vanished into thin air. Keeping her shirt pulled over her nose, Rose inched forward and crouched near the ball. She noticed a small, barely visible cross on the side. None of the others had this marking. Rose scanned the vast quantity of spheres for another of that marking. She discovered one...and it seemed to be the last. The reason for there to be so few evaded her mind. She slowly and cautiously picked it up, cradling it in her hands like an infant.

Rose nearly dropped it as approaching angry voices startled her.

"There she is! Get her!" She recognized one of the men from earlier. They were all the way on the other side of the stretch of spheres, but quickly reminded herself that they were neither human nor two-hearted. The gas wouldn't affect them.

She ran. Ran for her life, not bothering to avoid the spheres. As she neared the door she risked a glance back. The men were almost upon her. She swung the doors open, still holding her sphere carefully, and ran as quickly as she could.

Rose slowed a bit, no longer hearing the pursuing foot steps.

That was a big mistake.

A hand gripped her shoulder fiercely, spinning her around and punching her in the gut, causing her to drop her precious possession.

Rose fell to the ground with a gasp, but her first reaction was to block the quick stream of gas flowing from the top of the new gap on the sphere. She pressed her palm against the large gap, sniffing as the thick, warm tang filled her senses.

Boy, was that an even bigger mistake.

Her head immediately started to spin, keeping her from getting to her feet with ease. Still though, she kept her hand clasped firmly around the gap to keep anymore gas from escaping. She turned her heavy head to see the men smirking, standing a few feet away.

"Leave her." One of them said. "She'll be dead within a day." And with that the men walked away, leaving Rose gasping as she tried to stand.

After what seemed like hours, her head began to clear, and she was able to start walking towards the TARDIS again. She could only hope that there was enough gas left over to heal the Doctor.

The majority of Rose's discomfort was coming from her side, where she had been punched. Quite hard at that. Each step was a huge effort, and she resisted to fall onto the hard, sandy ground, and just cry. To lie there and wait for the Doctor to sweep her off her feet and carry her in his warm embrace to safety.

But he wasn't here, and he needed her help. She shook herself and continued her trek.

* * *

The Doctor stared at his watch, watching the seconds tick by.

_Two hours._

_Two hours that Rose had been gone._

A million thoughts swarmed through his head all at once. _Did the men find her? Was she captured? Is she hurt? Could she be lying unconscious in God knows where, waiting for him to save her?__  
_

He shook his head, clearing the thoughts. Rose was okay. She had to be. And if she wasn't, he'd change that quickly.

But not now. He couldn't do anything now.

He squinted his eyes and clenched his fists, biting back a groan of agony as pain rippled through his aching body.

"You should get some sleep." TARDIS spoke up, who was running tests next to him. "I can go out and look for Rose if you want."

He thought about it a moment, but knew better. "I'm not riskin' both of you out there. No way."

He was convinced his remaining beating heart stopped as he heard the sound of an opening door.

Moments later, Rose was entering the infirmary, holding a Vapor Sphere in her hands with a victorious grin.

"Told you I could do it!" Rose exclaimed pridefully. The Doctor detected something other than pride in her tone, though. He watched her closely as she moved across the room and set the ball down on a table, before sitting in a rocking chair with a sigh of a bit too much relief. She kept the top of the sphere covered with her hand.

"Rose." He greeted her still. She was here, and she was okay. That's what really mattered. He'd bombard her with questions later. "You did it!"

"Yup!" Once again, he thought her heard something else in her voice, but pushed it away. "Piece of cake. Weren't even any guards!" Okay, something really was wrong.

"Why'd you take two hours then?"

She shrugged. "Long walk," The Doctor noticed a subtle flinch at the action. Rose stood up, though her hand remained on the sphere.

"Alright, c'mon Rose. Let's leave him to it." TARDIS said.

Rose bumped the sphere a bit before rushing out...no...stumbling?

The Doctor shook his head again, and focused on the thick blue vapor filling his nose. He tried not to worry about her. She was fine. If something was really wrong, she'd tell him.

Wouldn't she?


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I was watching Thor while writing this sooooo if its a bit rubbish that's why xD**

"How long should it take?" Rose asked TARDIS through narrowed eyes, who was pacing outside the locked infirmary door. Lost in thought, she didn't hear Rose's question. "TARDIS!"

"Hmm?" She looked up. "Oh, no clue."

Rose sighed. "Thanks." she glared at her sarcastically, but the mysterious woman didn't notice. She leaned up against the dust-coated wall, sniffing. She closed her eyes, stifling a cough, but it came anyways, ragged and painful. She winced as pain shot through her side.

TARDIS finally looked up. "What's wrong?"

"Oh _now_ you pay attention." She shook her head, regretting it as a sudden headache inhabited her. "I'm fine. Just worried." At least that much was true. She was worried sick for the Doctor. What if it didn't work? What if everything she had been through was a complete waste? More importantly, what if there really _was_ no cure for the poison that entered his system. Would he just lie there, suffering, until it all became to much and he slipped away from her? Sure he would regenerate...but Rose was just starting to get used to this new face. She didn't want it to change again...But what if he couldn't regenerate? Was that possible? Could the poison have taken away his most powerful defense?

_Stop it._

Rose mentally slapped herself. She was being silly. Of course he would be fine.

He was gonna be okay.

_He's gonna be okay._

_He's gonna be okay._

To keep her sanity, Rose would just have to keep telling herself that. Then, she jumped as she heard the door click open.

She half expected to see a barely-standing Doctor with sad eyes, and a small regretful, lopsided smile, saying apologetically that it hadn't worked.

But the man before her eyes showed no traces of ever being ill in the first place.

The Doctor took a large stride out of the infirmary and shut the door quickly behind him, clapped his hands, and gave a bright smile. "It worked!" He laughed then gave a little dance. "Welcome back, Lefty!" He walked up to Rose and kissed her on top of her head. "Rose Tyler, you brilliant thing."

Rose smiled and gave him a huge hug. "I'm so glad you're alright."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her tightly, resting his chin on top of her head. Only then did he notice something...

"Rose you feel warm...you okay?" He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, but she swiped it away, pulling back.

"I'm fine." She insisted. "Kinda hot out there."

The Doctor nodded slowly. Fair enough. "Let's go sit down. I want to hear about how everything went."

"It all went fi-"

"Ah-" He put a finger to her lips. "I want to hear all of it. Okay?" Rose sighed and nodded.

"Alright, not much to tell." She followed him as he lead her to the library. It was a long walk down the corridor, and she felt the urgent need to sit down. The pain in her side had grown, and she once again resisted the urge to lie on the floor, curled up in a protective ball. But she did her best to show no sign of pain.

"Wait...how long has this been here?" She looked around in awe. "It's beautiful." The library was huge. Bookcases stretched up farther than she could see. The decor was breathtaking.

"What, you never saw the library?" He raised an eyebrow before jumping into the air, landing onto the couch with a laugh. "Well, now you have! Been here forever."

Rose said no more, instead sat down with a painful intake of breath. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them, realizing it had been longer than she anticipated. Her eyes rested upon the Doctor, who was gazing at her worriedly.

"Tell me what happened."

"I told you already that there's nothing really to tell."

"Rose." His voice hardened a bit.

She sighed. "I walked to the factory and got inside fine. There were a couple traps but it wasn't a big deal."

"Traps?"

"Just a couple spheres placed behind the door. If I wouldn't have seen them , and opened the door, it would have irritated them and set them off."

He nodded. "Go on."

"There was a hallway with several of them all over the place. I found the one with the blue gas and then-"

"How did you find it?"

"Had this little marking. Anyways, I got it and left, then made it back to the TARDIS with no problem." She spoke as if it were the most simple thing in the word.

The Doctor held her gaze, but remained silent.

"What?"

"Why are you lying to me?"

Her heart skipped a beat. "What-"

"Rose, I've been around quite a while. I can tell when someone's not telling the truth."

Rose looked away. _Wow. He's good._ She thought.

"Now, tell me what _really _happened, and why you look like you could keel over in pain at any second."

_He's really good._ "The...um..." her voice shook.

The Doctor moved so that he was sitting beside her. He gripped her hand tightly in his, resisting the urge to pull back as he realized her temperature had soared.

He kept this to himself.

"They...they found me."

"And?"

"They chased me out of the factory. I was almost to the TARDIS, and I didn't hear them behind me...so I stopped running."

"And they caught you?" now it was his turn to tremble, but he kept it subtle.

"One of them hit me."

His eyes went wide with concern. "Where?" He instinctively started running his fingers over her arms and shoulders looking for any sign of injury. She pulled back.

"He punched me in the side...I'm fine, though, and it was only that once."

His eyes dropped down to her shirt. "May I?" Without waiting for a response he gently rolled up the side of her shirt until it revealed vast bruising across her side. "Ouch." His eyes narrowed with sympathy.

"Yeah." She flinched at his touch as he ran his thumb along her ribs.

"Sorry.." He lowered her shirt. "A couple of bruised ribs, but its not too bad. I'll get it wrapped and it'll be better in no time." He smiled.

Rose nodded. "Thanks."

"Now." He sat back. "Tell me the rest."

"That's everything."

"It makes no sense that they would give you just one small punch then walk away."

She raised her eyebrows. "Small?" She knew the reason they simply walked away.

_Leave her. She'll be dead in a day._

The frightening words still rung in her ears, but she kept them to herself.

"Rose, it could have been a lot worse. He could have easily broken several of your ribs. I know it hurts like hell, but you were lucky."

Rose just nodded.

"Now tell me what else happened."

"There's nothing else to-"

"Please." His voice grew slightly desperate. "Rose, I know that a bruised rib isn't the only thing that's wrong." He ran his thumb over the top of her hand. "You're burning up, you look disoriented and...Rassilon, Rose! Please tell me what happened."

She brought her gaze to the floor and a tear fell from her eye. "When he hit me...I dropped the ball."

"And you breathed in the gas?"

She drew in a shaky breath. "Yeah.

He didn't need her to say anymore. He stood up, grabbed her hand, and started escorting her to the infirmary.

Rose stumbled and faltered as he half lead, half dragged her to the medical bay, but he didn't slow. She caught a glimpse of his face, his brow creased with worry.

"It'll be alright Rose." When they arrived at the closed door, he pressed a button on the wall and Rose could hear vents activating. "Don't want any gas lingering in there. Come on." He swung the door open and picked her up by her hips, setting her on the examination couch.

"Right, Miss Tyler." He grinned. "Let's get you sorted out."

**A/N: Please review! I like reviews!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: O.O Its taking longer and longer for me to update each time... so sorry! I've decided that this is gonna be kindof an on and off fic. This is gonna be a really long story, but I have an idea for another fic I'm wanting to start :P So these updates are gonna be pretty slow.**

"So?" Rose asked, impatient. "Figure it out?"

The Doctor had kept her in the infirmary for at least an hour, running various tests and scans, just trying to figure out how to reverse the effects of the poison.

He didn't answer, just helped her slide off the couch then sat himself down in a nearby chair, brow creasing in deep thought.

"Doctor?"

He looked up at her. "Go get some rest. I'm gonna do some digging and figure it out...how do you feel right now?"

"Tired." she yawned.

The Doctor nodded. "Head down the corridor a ways until you see a door on your left. That's your old bedroom."

Rose nodded. "Um, there's one more thing."

"What?" She had his full attention now."

"Well...those men...when they saw I'd been exposed to the gas, one of them said something.."

He now stood up, and was right in front of her. "What did he say."

Rose gulped. "'Leave her. She'll be dead in a day.'"

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Forget going to your room." he gestured to a bed on the further side of the infirmary. "Go lay down over there. Get some sleep if you can. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Doctor..."

"Rose." His voice was filled with determination...and a trace of regret. "This is all my fault. It was because of me that you went out there, and that you got hurt. I'm not stopping until I figure this out, but I need to work fast. I'll work faster knowing that I can keep a close eye on you. Now." He grabbed her shoulders gently and led her over to the bed, then pointed to it firmly. "Sleep."

"Not tired."

"But you JUST said that you were!"

"Well, I lied." She retorted. But to prove her wrong, an uncontrollable yawn erupted from her throat.

"Aha." He grinned. "Now, get some rest, and I'll wake you in a few minutes."

"But-"

"No 'but's." He glared at her, then his gaze softened. "Please just get some rest. Walking around while you're ill isn't doing much good, I can promise you that."

The young woman sighed in defeat. "Fine." She laid down on the bed, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillows.

The Doctor gave her a small smile and pulled the white sheet up over her shoulders, before kissing her hot forehead. "I won't let anything happen to you." He stroked her hair. "I promise."

He took a regretful step back and returned to his work.

* * *

12 hours.

The Doctor gasped.

He had less than twelve hours to save Rose. Since he had seen her to bed, she hadn't woken, and he didn't have the heart to force her. He checked on her constantly, hating to leave her side, but had to return to his tests each time with a regretful glance at his dying companion.

Don't think like that.

He told himself.

She was going to be fine. He would make sure of it. There were a few incomplete tests and scans that he was still awaiting results on. Usually the TARDIS would help to work out these things. Make them go quicker. But the old girl was of no use right now, being trapped in human form...another thing he had to figure out. He hated to think like he was, but the woman form should have died by now. Instead, she sat in the kitchen, fully conscious and well, munching on her new-found obsession with fish fingers and custard.

Boy, human TARDIS was different than the box.

The Doctor took off his bow-tie and shrugged off his jacket, then rolled up the sleeves on his shirt, narrowing his eyes at the results on the screen in front of him. He suppressed a victorious yelp as the monitor displayed the results he had been waiting for.

A machine next to him made a hissing sound before producing a small syringe. The Doctor scooped it up hastily before returning to Rose.

She was hyperventilating in her sleep. The Doctor brushed a strand of hair away from her sweat-soaked forehead before sitting down next to her. He pulled her arm out from under the covers, and injected the solution into the vein in the crook of her arm. He dabbed at the spot with a cotton ball before throwing the items in the nearby trash. He ran his fingers through her hair, whispering soothing words.

"It's gonna be okay now, Rose. I promise. You'll feel much better when you wake up." and with that he walked away. Rose needed rest, and he had another priority to attend...

**A/N: Sorry its short :3**


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